Name: The Desert Prince
ISBN: 9780008309794

Peter V. Brett

Peter V. Brett, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Demon Cycle, begins a brand new epic fantasy adventure set in his beloved world, following a new generation of heroes.

The Desert Prince

"From New York Times bestselling author Peter V. Brett comes a new fantasy saga about the children of a band of legendary heroes--who must become heroes for a new generation. An all-new story set in the world of the beloved Demon Cycle series. Fifteen years ago, humankind won a devastating war against an army of demons. They were led by a generation of heroes whose lives have now become legend--and whose children live in peace, but also in the shadow of their parents' legacies. Darin is the son of the greatest of these heroes, a man venerated as a near-god. The world expects Darin to be just like his father, but he couldn't feel more different: He's a gentle musician who prefers his violin to the sword. Olive's parents are royals from rival kingdoms who were also both once powerful demon hunters. Olive has lived a sheltered life in the palace, but soon discovers that they've inherited their parents' incredible magical power... and a love for combat. Olive and Darin have grown up in a world that their parents made for them: one where demons no longer torment mankind. But there are signs that the demons have returned to the earth--and that they might be hunting Olive. Now Olive and Darin have to prepare to face this ancient threat... and to fight for the freedom to create their own destinies"--

altlovesbooks

"Hollow needed a healing hand fifteen years ago, but it's time that hand held a spear once more."

This is basically Disney's Descendants with demons.

The kids of the main characters from the first series are confronted with the same evil that was never quite vanquished the first time. Olive Paper and Darin Bales are the main protagonists here, with a side cast of other kids from notable names from the first series. We get a whirlwind tour of a lot of the notable places from the first series, end up in the desert with a rapid-fire training montage reminiscent of The Desert Spear, and have a confrontation at the end that seems familiar as well.

That's not to say I didn't enjoy the book. Quite the opposite, I liked the return to a series I loved the first time around. But I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention that, at least this book, feels like an infodump of the first series intended to onboard new readers. There's lots of points when characters are meeting other characters that we get a "and here's what this character did in the first series" narration. Everything we see and everywhere we go gets another little "and here's the impact this had on the first series" byline. So, I guess what I'm saying is, there's a lot to love here if you loved the first series, but if you're looking for a different take or a different feel, I don't know if this is for you. I will say that if you're new to the world, this book does a good job of giving you the high level plot points, major players and conflicts, and a rudimentary introduction to terminology enough to at least get you oriented.

So, in summary, read this if you liked the first series, I think is what it boils down to. It really hits all the right notes and feels from its origins.

Fifteen years have passed since the demons were destroyed. Heroes have become legend, and those that remain live in their shadows.

Olive, Princess of Hollow, has her entire life planned out—a steady march toward succession. But the more her mother writes the script, the more Olive rails against playing the parts she is assigned.

Darin is the son of the man people say saved the world. Everyone expects greatness from Darin, but the only thing he’s ever been great at is hiding.

But now it’s time to fight the darkness.

When Olive and Darin step across the wards one night, they learn that the demons are not all gone, and those that remain hunger for revenge.

Are Darin and Olive ready to be heroes?

The Desert Prince

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